Chapter 1

TEN WEEKS EARLIER.

I slumped down on my bed and shut my eyes tight, a big grin on my face. Finally. Finally I was countless miles away from home and I live in my own apartment and even have my own fucking bed!

The loud sound of a car honking outside my window brings me back and my eyes flew open.

"Shit!" I rose up immediately. Elizabeth was still outside.

Elizabeth was my 30 years old aunt. Elizabeth lived with us back in Virginia and she worked as a nurse at a downtown hospital. She was a beauty, blessed with raven black hair that was naturally wavy and the type of body curve girls below twenty five wished they had. You would hardly tell she was already thirty.

Today was the day I resumed school at Cambridge university and to say I was excited was an understatement. My mother had some things she had to take care of back at home and my brother was still too young to drive me all the way here so Elizabeth offered to bring me. I didn't mind, she was a total vibe and I always enjoyed her company.

I hurried over to the window and looked down to find her standing next to her car's open door, her face turned up to me.

"You coming down to get your boxes or what?!" She screams.

"Sorry!" I hurried back out and together we brought back the last piece of my things. I told her not to worry about helping me arrange my things and that she could leave early. I already had a roommate who was currently out of the house before my arrival. She'd left the key with the receptionist for me.

Although I haven't seen my roommate in person, but we've skyped a few times. Her name was Phoebe and I'd seen her post on our school site about needing a roommate off campus. I'd messaged her and she was glad to share the room with me.

A few hours later, I was done fixing my clothes into my closet, just in time for Phoebe to arrive. Well I certainly never knew she had a strawberry hair.

"Oh heyyyy, Katherine right?" She hugs me as soon as she walked in.

"Yes. It's so nice to meet you." We instantly clicked that moment. I knew right there and then that I had a good feeling about this.

Classes started immediately and I was ready. I had a few written goals for the semester. One of them and the most important of all was to make good grades. I would attend parties of course but never get wasted. Never wake up with some dude in his car or apartment.

Classes started fine afterwards. Phoebe made friends with some other girl who majored in philosophy called Brenda. We often shared seats in classes we had together. Phoebe and I had nearly all our classes together except for two.

The first time I'd attended Linguistics, I'd felt lonely. Neither Phoebe nor Brenda were here and I pretty much didn't know anybody here.

"Hi" someone said from my left. I looked up to find a tall and slim blond girl standing there, a backpack looking like it couldn't contain more than a cellphone and a pen hung over her left shoulder, a sweet smile on her face. "May I?" She asks.

That's when I realized she actually wanted to sit next to me. There's empty seats on either side but since I was at the edge of the long seat, I didn't wanna move further inside so I could have a better view of the board.

"Um mind sitting at this side? I....my eyes....I can't see much from there."

"Oh sure! Not a problem!"

"Great." I stood up and let her in. She settles down and I did too.

"This is your first English class? Mine too" this girl giggles beside me.

I nodded with a small smile "yes."

She extends her hand and said "I'm Caroline"

Taking her soft and well manicured hand, I replied "I'm Katherine. It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise"

The professor walks in and everyone settled down. Then the class started. Not many people took this class because there were still many empty seats.

Halfway through the class, I noticed someone walk in through the back door. I wouldn't have given much attention except that this guy sat right next to me, without a word, at the exact spot Caroline has wanted to seat earlier.

"Um excuse me?" I said to him but he doesn't even spare me a look. "Could you maybe sit inside? I can't see properly if you're there."

That's when he looked at me and I almost stopped breathing for a second there. Starry rusty green eyes looked at me. But there's anger or plain annoyance in them which I chose not to overpower me. His face was a bit sharp at the jaw, his skin tanned like he was from Mexico or something. His hair is brown and coiled all over his head and down his face. I couldn't even understand why I had to notice all that. All I should be noticing was his audacity not his good looks.

"Do you have your name written on this seat?" He says.

"Hey yo country boy, don't you have some respect for a lady?" Caroline cuts in.

His eyes diverts sharply to Caroline and back to me again. How does he do that? He doesn't utter another word and just faced forward instead.

He was an irresponsible person. Otherwise why would he even come to a class thirty minutes late?

After the class, Caroline and I walked out. Just before we reached the exit, I saw this same guy walk in. So much arrogance and pride when he walked. Like he owned the place. As he neared us, his eyes fell on me and we made eye contact. He doesn't look away and it automatically felt like he cut my breath in my lungs just by watching me. And then he passed me by without even blinking.

Who the hell does he even think he is?